School of Arts, Culture & Language

Office 408

Email: r.chapela@bangor.ac.uk

Phone: +44 (0)1248 382099

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TEACHING

He was awarded Qualified Teaching Status for Wales and England in 2007 by EWC, and has been teaching Spanish at the School of Modern Languages and Cultures since 2009. Additionally, he has delivered Catalan and Spanish courses for several schools, institutions and projects in north Wales, both through the medium of English and Welsh, as well as coordinating TILT Foreign Language Tutors. TILT (Training in Languages and Translation) was a work-based learning programme available to businesses in the private sector in Wales.

Currently he is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy teaching language modules for both mainstream Spanish degree students and community learners. He is also involved in the training and mentoring of Bangor University Student Language Ambassadors and he is the MFL Student Mentoring Project School Lead.

2026

• A Colourful Finale to the Semester: Chinese Opera Masks Workshop!

  The final session in this semester’s Discover Chinese Culture – Free Lunchtime Workshops series brought a vibrant and creative close to another wonderful programme of cultural activities organised by the Bangor University Confucius Institute.

  Our last workshop, Chinese Opera Masks: Colour, Character and Cultural Storytelling, welcomed students, staff, and members of the local community for an engaging lunchtime experience exploring one of China’s most visually striking traditional art forms.

  Led by tutors from the Bangor University Confucius Institute, the session introduced participants to the rich symbolism behind traditional Chinese opera masks. Attendees learned how colours convey personality and moral qualities, with red representing loyalty, black symbolising strength and integrity, and white often associated with cunning or treachery. These striking visual codes offered a fascinating insight into how stories and characters are brought to life on the Chinese opera stage.

  The workshop combined cultural learning with hands-on creativity, giving participants the opportunity to design and paint their own mini opera masks. Drawing inspiration from traditional styles while adding their own personal interpretations, attendees filled the room with colour, creativity, and conversation as each unique design took shape.

  We were also delighted to welcome Ruben Chapela-Orri and Nathalie Thomas, International Languages Project Officer for School Languages, to the workshop. Their visit highlighted the growing interest in the Bangor University Confucius Institute’s work across North Wales and the importance of creating opportunities for cultural exchange and language learning within schools and the wider community.

  Adding to the excitement of the day, Heno S4C, the Welsh television broadcaster, attended the workshop to film the activity and speak with participants about their experiences. The filming formed part of a wider feature on the Bangor University Confucius Institute’s teaching activities at Ysgol Friars, where students have successfully reached the finals of the Chinese Bridge competition each year and have gone on to win awards for their performances and achievements in Mandarin learning. The filming also included an interview with Nathalie Thomas, who reflected on the excellent links the Confucius Institute continues to build between Wales and China by introducing Chinese language and culture to schools and communities across the North Wales region.

  As with all sessions in the series, the workshop created a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, a chance in the middle of the day to slow down, try something new, and connect with others through culture and creativity.

  This session marked the final lunchtime workshop of the semester, and we would like to thank everyone who joined us over the past months for their enthusiasm and continued support. It has been a pleasure to share these cultural experiences with you all.

  We look forward to welcoming everyone back in the autumn, when our regular lunchtime workshops will return with more opportunities to explore, create, and connect.

  6 May 2026

  Links:

  • https://www.facebook.com/share/v/197We8szLH/
  Activity: Other (Participant)

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Routes into Languages Cymru north Wales Coordinator.

  Project aiming to encourage young people to study foreign languages and Welsh. It is funded by Welsh universities, the Regional Education Consortia and the British Council. 

• MFL Student Mentoring Project School Lead.

  MFL undergraduates mentor pupils across Wales about the benefits of learning a modern foreign language at GCSE and help broaden their horizons. It is funded by the Welsh Government, as part of their Global Futures strategy.

• International Links Global Project Manager.

  Promoting engagement in international projects by primary and secondary schools in north Wales: Taith, Turing Scheme, Erasmus+, CCGL, etc.

• Languages for All Tutor Coordinator.

  Language courses for university students and community learners.

• Spanish tutor.

For more information about Routes Cymru and the MFL Student Mentoring Project, please visit our Community Engagement page

BIOGRAPHY

He was born in Girona, and finished his bachelor degree in 2004. He then completed an MSc in Marine Biology at Bangor University in 2005. After that, he returned to Girona where he obtained his teaching qualification in 2007. His three big passions have always been science, the arts and teaching. As part of his science career development he joined courses in northern France (University Marie-Curie, Roscoff campus, conducting research on Ectocarpus fasciculatus and others) and Wales (School of Ocean Sciences, Menai Bridge, Bangor University), and worked for institutions such as CEAB-CSIC (Superior Scientific Research Centre, Costa Brava, Spain), IEO (Spanish Institute of Oceanography, Mediterranean Sea, where he conducted research on Helicolenus dactylopterus and others) and Girona University (Science Faculty, Spain), specialising in marine phytology and ichthyology. His MSc dissertation entitled Gwymon traethell ar Ynys Môn (Stranded Seaweed on the Isle of Anglesey) was awarded a Distinction in 2006 and it is stored at the National Library of Wales (Aberystwyth). He has also published several novels and comic books in Catalan and Spanish, and received several literary awards for his short stories. He has been involved in theatre acting, as well as in film-making and book writing (ranging in theme from the gothic, adventures, science-fiction and drama).